1. Field of the Invention. This invention pertains to protective apparatus for automobiles, and more particularly to apparatus for protecting Corvette automobile body members from damage.
2. Description of the Prior Art. It is well known that the front end of Corvette automobiles is very susceptible to damage. That is true to a large extent because Corvettes do not have front bumpers as are used in most other automobile models. It is further well known that repairing even relatively minor dents and scratches in Corvette bodies is very expensive.
An available device for reducing the danger of Corvette front end damage is an electrically powered alarm system manufactured by Protech Engineering Co. of Port Washington, New York. That device includes spring steel rods that are mounted a few inches from the front end of the automobile body. The spring steel rods serve as a trigger for activating the automobile horn when the rods are disturbed. Thus, the driver of another vehicle approaching a Corvette equipped with the protective device will be warned of an impending collision. However, the other driver may not have sufficient time to react before his car strikes the Corvette, and thus the collision will occur despite the audio warning.
Automobile bumper extensions and similar protective devices are well known. Examples of such apparatus may be seen in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,293,224; 1,515,567; 1,610,516; 1,623,404; 3,081,119; and 4,076,295. However, the various devices disclosed in the cited patents are not suitable for automobiles such as Corvettes, which lack the conventional front bumper found on most automobiles.
Thus, a need exists for a guard for a Corvette automobile that protects the front end from collision damage.